In the Craters on the Moon
In the Craters on the Moon is the seventh song on the album Heretic Pride. Press Kit notes In the Craters on the Moon It is the natural condition of my characters when a few of them have gathered together, to find themselves secluded in a near-lightless room waiting for some unspecified disaster. Frankly, I suspect that this is the natural condition of a pretty hefty percentage of the general populace. The people in this song have reached a point of comfort with their dread: ready for panic to set in, relishing the moment. Lyrics If the strain proves too much Give up right away If the light hurts your eyes Stay in your room all day When the room fills with smoke Lie down on the floor In the declining years Of the long war Well the blood’s in the water And the shark’s gonna come And we swim in the dark Until our bodies are numb Blind desert rats in the moonlight Too far from shore In the declining years Of the long war Empty room with a lightbulb Where the phone starts to ring Everybody gets nervous Nobody says anything The next day someone’s initials Show up on the door I think I’m gonna crack Can’t live like this anymore Ugly things in the darkness Worse things in store In the declining years Of the long war Comments by John Darnielle About this Song * "This is a song about how in certain times in your life you may find it necessary to think of all your friends as your enemies. And they may grow resentful; that only proves you right." -- 2008-03-02 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA * "They applaud thrift in Boston. They really admire a man who knows his way around a bargain. This is a song about some people who, for them, thrift is not really an option -- because they spend all of their money on, uh, on sugar and old video cassettes of "Speed Racer" and "Kimba the White Lion". It's working out okay for them, depending on who you talk to." -- 2008-03-14 - Museum of Fine Arts - Boston, MA * "This has kind of turned out to be a political song, which was just written in a second-story sub-basement in Stockholm in a room where no light came in. You get a certain kind of thought: 'write now, write now.'" -- 2017-05-31 - The Mayan - Los Angeles, CA Things Referenced in this Song Live Shows this Song Was Played at *2007-09-20 - The Black Cat - Washington, D.C. *2007-09-21 - Sonar - Baltimore, MD *2007-09-22 - North Star Bar - Philadelphia, PA *2007-09-25 - Lee's Palace - Toronto, Ontario *2007-09-27 - Rex Theatre - Pittsburgh, PA *2007-09-30 - Middle East Downstairs - Cambridge, MA *2007-10-01 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY *2007-10-02 - Studio B - Brooklyn, NY *2007-10-31 - 400 Bar - Minneapolis, MN *2007-11-02 - Gardner Lounge - Grinnell, IA *2007-11-03 - The Slowdown - Omaha, NE *2007-11-06 - Hi-Dive - Denver, CO *2007-11-10 - Biliken Club - St. Louis University - St. Louis, MO *2007-11-11 - Randy Bacon Studio & Gallery - Springfield, MO *2007-11-13 - Madhatter - Covington, KY *2007-11-14 - The Canopy Club - Urbana, IL *2007-11-15 - The Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL *2008-02-23 - Nuemo's - Seattle, WA *2008-02-25 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR *2008-02-29 - Bimbo's - San Francisco, CA *2008-03-01 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA *2008-03-02 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA *2008-03-04 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA *2008-03-05 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA *2008-03-11 - Soundcheck - WNYC Session *2008-03-13 - Pearl Street - Northampton, MA *2008-03-14 - Museum of Fine Arts - Boston, MA *2008-03-15 - Middle East - Cambridge, MA *2008-03-18 - Webster Hall - New York, NY *2008-03-19 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY *2008-03-20 - First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA *2008-03-22 - The Black Cat - Washington, D.C. *2008-09-15 - ULU - London, England *2008-10-20 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA *2008-10-21 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR *2008-10-23 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA *2008-10-24 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA *2008-10-25 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA *2008-10-26 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA *2008-11-01 - Antones - Austin, TX *2008-11-02 - Granada Theater - Dallas, TX *2008-11-05 - Cat's Cradle - Chapel Hill, NC *2008-11-06 - 9:30 Club - Washington, D.C. *2008-12-05 - Manning Bar - Sydney, Australia *2008-12-07 - Fowlers Live - Adelaide, Australia *2008-12-09 - The Rosemount - Perth, Australia *2008-12-10 - Billboard - Melbourne, Australia *2008-12-14 - The Zoo - Brisbane, Australia *2008-12-17 - Kings Arms - Auckland, New Zealand *2008-12-18 - San Francisco Bath House - Wellington, New Zealand *2009-02-05 - Thursday Concert - Ships and Dip V *2009-03-07 - Harvest of Hope Festival - St. Augustine, FL *2009-03-29 - Kenyon College - Gambier, OH *2009-03-30 - Oberlin College - Oberlin, OH *2009-04-01 - Portage Theater - Chicago, IL *2009-04-06 - Buskirk-Chumley Theater - Bloomington, IN *2009-10-09 - Paradiso - Amsterdam, The Netherlands *2009-10-10 - Queen Elizabeth Hall - London, England *2009-10-13 - Point Ephemere - Paris, France *2009-10-15 - Magnet - Berlin, Germany *2010-05-30 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR *2010-05-31 - Sasquatch Music Festival - George, WA *2010-06-02 - The Rickshaw Theatre - Vancouver, British Columbia *2010-06-04 - Neurolux - Boise, ID *2010-06-05 - The Badlander - Missoula, MT *2010-06-07 - Macewan Hall - Calgary, Alberta *2010-06-12 - Blue Moose Tap House - Iowa City, IA *2010-06-15 - Gothic Theatre - Denver, CO *2010-09-09 - Koko - London, England *2010-09-10 - End of the Road Festival - Salisbury, England *2012-12-12 - Masonic Lodge - Hollywood Forever Cemetery - Los Angeles, CA *2012-12-16 - Aladdin Theater - Portland, OR *2014-02-26 - A.V. Club Pioneering Session - Bowery Electric - New York, NY *2014-04-21 - Scope Productions Presents First United Methodist Church - Iowa City, IA *2016-05-12 - The Pinhook - Durham, NC *2017-04-01 - Bond Brothers Beer Company - Cary, NC *2017-04-06 - Badlands - Perth, Australia *2017-04-07 - Fowlers Live - Adelaide, Australia *2017-04-08 - The Edinburgh Castle Hotel - Adelaide, Australia *2017-04-09 - The Factory Theatre - Sydney, Australia *2017-04-11 - The Toff in Town - Melbourne, Australia *2017-04-12 - The Corner Hotel - Melbourne, Australia *2017-05-22 - Terminal West - Atlanta, GA *2017-05-23 - Cannery Ballroom - Nashville, TN *2017-05-25 - Saturn - Birmingham, AL *2017-05-26 - The Republic - New Orleans, LA *2017-05-27 - White Oak Music Hall - Houston, TX *2017-05-28 - Trees - Dallas, TX *2017-05-31 - The Mayan - Los Angeles, CA *2017-06-01 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA *2017-06-02 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA *2017-06-04 - Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR *2017-06-05 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA *2017-06-06 - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA *2017-06-23 - Beacon Theatre - New York, NY *2017-06-24 - Beacon Theatre - New York, NY *2017-06-26 - College Street Music Hall - New Haven, CT *2017-06-27 - Blue Hills Bank Pavilion - Boston, MA *2017-06-28 - Columbus Theatre - Providence, RI *2017-06-30 - Merriweather Post Pavilion - Columbia, MD *2017-07-01 - PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music - Cincinnati, OH *2017-07-02 - Rose Music Center - Huber Heights, OH *2017-07-03 - The Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL *2017-07-05 - Sumtur Ampitheatre - Papillion, NE *2017-07-06 - Wooly's - Des Moines, IA *2017-07-07 - The Palace Theatre - St. Paul, MN *2017-07-08 - Majestic Theatre - Madison, WI *2017-07-09 - The Castle - Bloomington, IL *2017-07-11 - The Washington Pavilion - Sioux Falls, SD *2017-07-13 - ACM@UCO Performance Lab - Oklahoma City, OK *2017-07-14 - ACL Live - Moody Theater - Austin, TX *2017-09-05 - Neighborhood Theatre - Charlotte, NC *2017-09-06 - The Orange Peel - Asheville, NC *2017-09-08 - Bijou Theatre - Knoxville, TN *2017-09-09 - Headliners - Louisville, KY *2017-09-10 - The Vogue - Indianapolis, IN *2017-09-13 - Englert Theatre - Iowa City, IA *2017-09-14 - Madrid Theatre - Kansas City, MO *2017-09-15 - The Waiting Room - Omaha, NE *2017-09-16 - Gothic Theatre - Englewood, CO *2017-10-06 - Brudenell Social Club - Leeds, England *2017-10-08 - Button Factory - Dublin, Ireland *2017-10-09 - Glasgow Art School - Glasgow, Scotland *2017-10-11 - O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire - London, England *2017-10-12 - The Haunt - Brighton, England *2017-10-13 - De Helling - Utrecht, The Netherlands *2017-10-15 - Pumpehuset - Copenhagen, Denmark *2017-10-16 - Debaser Strand - Stockholm, Sweden *2017-10-17 - John Dee - Oslo, Norway *2017-11-06 - 9:30 Club - Washington, D.C. *2017-11-07 - 9:30 Club - Washington, D.C. *2017-11-08 - Calvin Theatre - Northampton, MA *2017-11-10 - White Eagle Hall - Jersey City, NJ *2017-11-11 - Union Transfer - Philadelphia, PA *2017-11-12 - Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn, NY *2017-11-13 - House of Blues - Boston, MA *2017-11-15 - Newport Music Hall - Columbus, OH *2017-11-16 - Majestic Theatre - Detroit, MI *2017-11-17 - Riviera Theatre - Chicago, IL *2017-11-18 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN *2018-04-13 - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH *2018-04-14 - Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto, Ontario *2018-04-15 - L'Astral - Montreal, Quebec *2018-04-18 - Higher Ground Ballroom - South Burlington, VT *2018-04-23 - Ardmore Music Hall - Ardmore, PA *2018-05-27 - Old Town School of Folk Music - Chicago, IL *2018-08-10 - Outside Lands - Golden Gate Park - San Francisco, CA Videos of this Song *2007-11-13 - Madhatter - Covington, KY *2008-02-29 - Bimbo's - San Francisco, CA *2008-03-01 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA *2008-03-02 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA *2008-12-14 - The Zoo - Brisbane, Australia *2009-02-05 - Thursday Concert - Ships and Dip V *2009-03-07 - Harvest of Hope Festival - St. Augustine, FL *2010-06-12 - Blue Moose Tap House - Iowa City, IA *2010-06-15 - Gothic Theatre - Denver, CO *2010-09-10 - End of the Road Festival - Salisbury, England *2017-04-01 - Bond Brothers Beer Company - Cary, NC *2017-05-31 - The Mayan - Los Angeles, CA Category:Heretic Pride songs Category:Video